Swimming: Hopefuls face tough qualifying times

New Zealand's leading swimmers have 11 months to work on the qualifying times they need to make the Melbourne Commonwealth Games team.

The times have been released by Swimming New Zealand (SNZ) and the New Zealand Olympic committee, and - as expected - are tough.

SNZ director of coaching Clive Rushton said the times were designed to get swimmers into finals.

Qualifying times for the world championships in Montreal in July have also been released, and are even tougher than the Games times.

The New Zealand championships in Wellington at the end of April will allow the swimmers an opportunity to achieve the times.

Those targeting the Games in Melbourne in March next year will also have the New Zealand trials in Auckland in December to prove themselves.

For the Games and world championships there are two sets of qualifying times, the easier of the two are for the New Zealand trials; the more difficult times are for swimmers who do not return for the trials and want to qualify overseas.

Rushton said there were a few swimmers in this category. One is Ben Labowitch, who was a member of the men's medley relay team at the Athens Olympics. He is at college in the United States and is unlikely to return for the trials.

Several swimmers are training in Australia, Nathalie Bernard, who was a member of the women's freestyle team at Athens, and leading butterfly swimmer Nicola Chellingworth among them.

"I expect they would come back for the trials," Rushton said.

Commonwealth Games qualifying times (times in brackets are those to be achieved by swimmers based overseas):

Men

Freestyle - 50m: 22.89sec (22.66). 100m: 50.05 (49.56). 200m: 1min 49.87sec (1:48.80). 400m: 3:54.57 (3:52.27). 1500m: 15:29.61 (15:20.49).

Backstroke - 50m: 25.94 (25.68). 100m: 56.32 (55.77). 200m: 2:1.75 (2:00.55).

Breaststroke - 50m: 28.50 (28.22). 100m: 1:2.60 (1:1.98). 200m: 2:15.74 (2:14.41).

Butterfly - 50m: 24.21 (23.97). 100m: 53.78 (53.26). 200m: 2:00.79 (1:59.60).

Individual medley - 200m: 2:3.74 (2:2.52). 400m: 4:23.00 (4:20.42).

Women

Freestyle - 50m: 26.11 (25.86). 100m: 56.56 (56.00). 200m: 2:2.27 (2:1.07). 400m: 4:16.21 (4:13.70). 800m: 8:47.41 (8:42.24).

Backstroke - 50m: 29.47 (29.18). 100m: 1:2.84 (1:2.23). 200m: 2:14.50 (2:12.97).

Breaststroke - 50m: 32.03 (31.68). 100m: 1:10.05 (1:9.37). 200m: 2:31.41 (2:29.92).

Butterfly - 50m: 27.73 (27.46). 100m: 1:1.04 (1:00.44). 200m: 2:13.64 (2:12.33).

Individual medley - 200m: 2:17.84 (2:16.49). 400m: 4:51.67 (4:48.81).

The world championships qualifying times (times in brackets are those to be achieved by swimmers based overseas):

Men

Freestyle - 50m: 22.73sec (22.29). 100m: 50.09 (49.12). 200m: 1:49.31 (1:47.19). 400m: 3:53.04 (3:48.51). 800m: 8:2.95 (7:58.21). 1500m: 15:28.69 (15:10.66).

Backstroke - 50m: 25.69 (25.44). 100m: 55.80 (54.71). 200m: 2:00.94 (1:58.59).

Breaststroke - 50m: 28.15 (27.88). 100m: 1:2.51 (1:1.30). 200m: 2:14.83 (2:12.21). Butterfly ~ 50m: 24.20 (23.97). 100m: 53.54 (52.50). 200m: 1:59.04 (1:56.73).

Individual medley ~ 200m: 2:3.06 (2:00.67). 400m: 4:21.94 (4:16.85).

Women

Freestyle - 50m: 25.68 (25.18). 100m: 56.01 (54.92). 200m: 2:1.57 (1:59.21). 400m: 4:14.94 (4:9.99). 800m: 8:36.46 (8:31.39). 1500m: 16:24.68 (16:19.83).

Backstroke - 50m: 29.20 (28.92). 100m: 1:2.59 (1:1.38). 200m: 2:14.50 (2:11.89).

Breaststroke - 50m: 32.03 (31.71). 100m: 1:9.35 (1:8.00). 200m: 2:29.82 (2:26.91). Butterfly ~ 50m: 27.24 (26.98). 100m: 59.97 (58.80). 200m: 2:12.18 (2:9.61).

Individual medley - 200m: 2:16.44 (2:13.79). 400m: 4:47.67 (4:42.08).

- NZPA